1,3-Butadiene

1,3-Butadiene is used to produce synthetic rubber products, such as tires.

What is 1,3-butadiene?

1,3-Butadiene is a colorless gas at room temperature with a gasoline-like odor. It is used to produce synthetic rubber products, such as tires, resins, and plastics, and other chemicals.

How are people exposed to 1,3-butadiene?

Exposure to 1,3-butadiene mainly occurs among workers who breath contaminated air on the job. Other sources of exposure include automobile exhaust; tobacco smoke; and polluted air and water near chemical, plastic, or rubber facilities.

Which cancers are associated with exposure to 1,3-butadiene?

Studies have consistently shown an association between occupational exposure to 1,3-butadiene and an increased incidence of leukemia.

How can exposures be reduced?

The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration has information on exposure limits for 1,3-butadiene. People can also reduce their exposure to 1,3-butadiene by avoiding tobacco smoke.

Selected References:

International Agency for Research on Cancer. 1,3 Butadiene, IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Volume 97. Lyon, France: World Health Organization, 2012. Also available online. Last accessed December 12, 2014.

National Toxicology Program. 1,3 Butadiene, Report on Carcinogens, Thirteenth Edition. Triangle Park, NC: National Institute of Environmental Health and Safety, 2014. Also available online. Last accessed December 12, 2014.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 1,3-Butadiene, Safety and Health Topics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor. Available online. Last accessed December 16, 2014.